In recent developments in Germany, a third politician has been the victim of violence amidst pre-election campaigning. A member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and Berlin’s senator, Franziska Giffey was attacked while visiting a library in Alt-Rudow.
Giffey was struck over the head by an unknown assailant with a heavy object. Despite an initial shock, she went to the hospital for treatment and then returned to work, asserting that she was fine. The senator took to social media platforms to share her ordeal, thanking everyone for the messages of encouragement and sympathy.
However, Giffey also expressed her apprehension over the growing instances of violence against politicians, pointing towards a rising de-facto “free-wild culture” in which politically active individuals are frequently targeted with allegedly justified attacks. She stated:
“I am concerned and shaken by the growing “free-wild culture” in which people who are politically active and committed in our country are increasingly exposed to attacks that are supposedly justified and acceptable… we live in a free and democratic country, in which everybody can express their opinions openly. Having said that, there’s a clear limit. And that limit is violence against people that hold a different opinion, for whichever reasons, in whichever form.”
The assault on Giffey isn’t an isolated incident. Previously, Matthias Ecke, a lead SPD candidate for the European Parliament elections, was attacked by four individuals on May 3 and had to undergo surgery as a result. Weeks later, on May 9, Yvonne Mosler of the Green party was subjected to physical and verbal abuse while filming with a television crew in Dresden.
In condemnation of these attacks, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz released a statement, declaring the assaults on Giffey and other politicians as “outrageous and cowardly”. He emphasized that any form of violence is out of place in democratic debate and must be collectively opposed by “decent and sensible people,” who he affirmed, make up the majority.
As these attacks persist a month prior to the European Parliament elections scheduled in Germany on June 9, German ministers have convened to formulate a response to the escalating violence. As detailed on JURIST, these incidents have raised concerns about the security and safety of political figures and the overall democratic process in Germany.